The Switzerland international has revealed why he chose to end a seven-year spell at Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Granit Xhaka left Arsenal in the summer because he wanted a fresh challenge elsewhere.
Despite playing a pivotal role in Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge last season, Xhaka left the club in the summer. He found a new challenge with Bayer Leverkusen, marking the end of his seven-year stint in London.
Arsenal agreed to sell Xhaka to Leverkusen for a fee of €15 million, parting ways with a player who made 297 appearances for the club between 2016 and 2023.
Speaking to NZZ am Sonntag, Xhaka said: “I didn’t come to Leverkusen as a boss, but because I was looking for a new challenge. I felt like my time at Arsenal was over for me after seven years in London.”
The 31-year-old midfielder also dispelled rumors his wife, Leonita Lekaj, influenced his move.
“It was sometimes written that I was coming back to Germany because of my wife. That’s not the truth. Like me, she was very happy in London,” he added.
Xhaka previously played for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga from 2012 to 2016.
The Switzerland international has since enjoyed a solid return to Germany. He has started in all eight of Leverkusen’s games this season, providing one assist in the Europa League.
Leverkusen will hope Xhaka continues his promising form when they take on Molde in the Europa League this Thursday.
“Granit Xhaka” by thesportreview is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
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